A Rose By Any Other Color
by UselessBytes
Summary: Short WhiteRose drabbles and fluff. Updated sporadically. Crossposted from AO3. Apologies if I do not reply to reviews/comments here.
1. Meeting

Weiss didn't often find herself breathless. She was much too composed to be described in such a way. She was the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, after all. She was expected to maintain a certain professional aloofness, even in the most extreme of situations.

Yet, here she was, at a loss for words. She glanced back at the young lady who had just unceremoniously discharged an entire briefcase worth of dust as she stomped away, wisps of smoke still curling off of her slightly singed clothes. Weiss wasn't much for romance, and had long since resigned herself to marrying some Atlesian official for the good of the SDC. As a result, she didn't concern herself much with looks so much as status. The young lady, despite managing to blow herself up mere seconds after they met, had challenged that notion in mere moments. Even in lecturing the girl, Weiss had to try her hardest to stop herself from being distracted.

The girl had been dressed plainly, but even without all the stylings that Weiss put herself through in an effort to maintain her image, she was still strikingly beautiful. A part of Weiss thought it was unfair, but the other part was too enthralled to care. Pale with dark hair, silver eyes, a soft smile, the girl met standards that Weiss didn't even know she had. Shaking her head, she tried to get the girl out of her mind so she could focus on the opening ceremony.

Weiss huffed. If only the girl hadn't behaved like such an idiot.


	2. Late Night

Weiss slumped back into her chair. She'd been trying to study for the past hour, but she couldn't seem to focus. It wasn't that the material didn't interest her, she found the history of the huntsmen academies fascinating, and Dr. Oobleck always managed to make class interesting.

No, Weiss was too busy glancing at the clock every thirty seconds. It was hard to learn much when she had her eyes glued to the time. It was well past eleven, close to midnight. She and Ruby were supposed to have had a nice date at seven, but a last minute mission had called her away, spoiling their plans. Weiss had ended up going to dinner alone.

Shortly after she'd decided to wait up for Ruby to return, Yang and Blake had disappeared to places unknown. Weiss presumed Yang had dragged the Faunus to another one of the local clubs, as she so often did. Regardless of wherever they'd gone, it left Weiss alone in her team's dorm room.

Weiss had tried to kill time until Ruby returned, but found herself beginning to nod off after a while. She'd hit the books in an effort to keep herself awake, and, while it certainly had, she hadn't gotten much done in the way of actually learning. It was more the act of constantly swiveling her head back and forth between her notebook and the clock that kept her awake, as opposed to any flow of knowledge.

As she closed her notebook, giving up on making any actual progress, Weiss let put a yawn. Changing into her nightclothes had been a bad idea. They certainly were more comfortable, but the temptation of sleep they provided was a little too attractive for Weiss's liking. She rested her head against her desk, the cold wood pressing against her cheek. Surely, she could just close her eyes for a moment, Weiss thought. She had enough self-control to keep herself from drifting off, she assured herself. It would just be a brief rest.

The door creaked open as Ruby slipped into the dorm, trying not to make any noise.

"Me and B won't be back til morning, but W is still in the room. Have fun when u get back, she's waiting up for u :P". The message on Ruby's scroll had been sent some hours prior, but Ruby hadn't seen it until her exhaustingly long mission had finished.

"How many Grimm can fit in a cave that small?" Ruby muttered, still baffled by how many of the creatures she'd had to kill. She glanced at her scroll again. It was two AM. A quiet sniff caught her attention, and she turned to see Weiss, asleep at her desk. Her lamp was still on, and her notebook and scroll were still out. She'd clearly fallen asleep in the middle of something. Ruby remembered Yang's message and smiled. Weiss had tried to wait up for her. She scooped up the sleeping heiress and carefully laid her in her bed, doing her best to let her sleep. "Sorry I missed our date," Ruby whispered, smiling.

Ruby turned away as she began to change into her own pajamas, eager to get to sleep and rest her sore muscles. Camping out in a tree waiting for Grimm wasn't the most comfortable of experiences, after all. As she changed, Ruby remembered that Yang had said she and Blake wouldn't be back until morning. Gently, she climbed into bed beside Weiss, snuggling up close to her girlfriend. Weiss stirred, her eyes opening slightly.

"…Ruby?" Weiss asked groggily, beginning to prop herself up on her elbows.

Ruby shushed her and pulled her back down, scooting in even closer. "Not now. I'm tired."

Weiss smiled and closed her eyes, content to go back to sleep in Ruby's arms. Maybe missing their date hadn't been the worst thing, after all.


	3. Valentine

If someone had asked Weiss what she'd be doing on Valentine's Day two years ago, when she'd first come to Beacon, she would have laughed them out of the room.

"Valentine's Day? That's just silly. I have no intent on engaging in any romantic endeavors while I'm studying here at Beacon," Weiss would have said. "Besides, no one here at Beacon is likely to be of a status worthy of the Schnee name."

Weiss cringed at the thought. She really would have said something like that. Yang was right, she had been bitchy. She remembered the initial dread she'd felt upon running into Ruby in the Emerald Forest, and again when she realized that some fifteen year old maniac with a scythe was going to be the team leader instead of her. She most definitely remembered how mad her father was when he found out.

"A Schnee should be the one leading, Weiss. Following is for those too incompetent to lead," He'd said, among other things. She'd agreed with him for a while, until a conversation she'd had with Professor Port had given her some… perspective, to put it nicely. She'd started to behave better after that, according to the rest of team RWBY. She didn't see it at the time, but she definitely saw it looking back now. Hindsight is 20/20, Weiss supposed.

"Hey, what's up? You seem distracted."

Weiss snapped back to the present as Ruby looked up at her. Ruby was sprawled out across Weiss's lap, like she had been for the past hour.

"Movie not catching your attention?" Ruby asked.

Weiss looked to the TV. Some animated movie Ruby had picked out was still playing. A little childish for Weiss's tastes, but it was one of Ruby's favorites. The couple had tried to watch a few of the movies Weiss liked, but they always bored Ruby to tears. Instead, Weiss took the bullet and let Ruby enjoy the movies while she enjoyed the company.

Weiss sighed. "No, just… distracted."

Ruby reached up and poked Weiss's face. "About what?"

Weiss sighed again, grabbing Ruby's hand and giving it a squeeze. "A lot. Sorry for being so horrible to you back then."

Ruby let out a groan, making Weiss jump. "C'mon, Weiss! It's Valentine's Day! Be all lovey and sappy already!"

Weiss's face turned pink "Ruby, I-"

"Wahh, look at me, I'm the Ice Queen, I used to be a jerk to everyone and now I won't stop apologizing for it even though it's been like a year and a half," Ruby exclaimed in an exaggerated imitation of Weiss's voice.

Weiss huffed. "Well, fine. If you're going to mock me, I'll just take my leave." Weiss began to shimmy out from under Ruby, in an effort to leave. Ruby's expression quickly morphed from smug to panicked as she wrapped her arms Weiss's waist, pinning her to the couch.

"Ahhh Weiss sorrysorrysorry please stayyy!" Ruby exclaimed, almost too fast for Weiss to comprehend.

Weiss rolled her eyes and relaxed back into the couch, though Ruby still clung to her tightly. "You're pitifully easy to manipulate, you know."

Ruby looked up at Weiss, her eyes wide. "So you're staying?"

Weiss leaned down and gave Ruby a quick kiss. "Yes. I can't exactly leave you alone on Valentine's Day, can I?"


	4. Adopted

Lily normally wasn't one for questions. She wasn't a very curious girl. She liked learning, they were learning how to subtract in school, but she just didn't really ask much of her own accord. She wasn't naturally curious, like her mother tended to be. When she was, though?

_Oh boy. _

"Mommy?" Lily's small voice whispered.

Ruby Rose looked up from her scroll to see her daughter looking up at her. Ruby, putting down her scroll and forgetting about the report she'd been reading for a moment, reached down and hoisted her daughter into her lap.  
"Heyo, silly," Ruby said, tapping her daughter on the nose. "What's up?"

Lily grabbed a fistful of her strikingly blonde hair as she looked at her mother. She'd always thought she looked more like Auntie Yang than her own mom. "Why do I look different?"

Ruby frowned. "What do you mean, sweetie? You look the same as always to me."

Lily let go of her own hair and reached out to grab Ruby's. Her small hands wrapped around a lock of her black hair. She'd long since stopped dying the tips.

"My hair," Lily said. "You've got black hair. And mommy has really pretty white hair. Why is mine yellow?"

Ruby laughed, finally understanding what her daughter was getting at. "We've talked about this before, silly. You're adopted. Me and mommy picked you out when you were reeallll little because we loved you so much."

"But the other kids at school look like their mommy!" Lily said.

Ruby tapped Lily on the nose again. "Yeah, well, they didn't pick their kiddos out. They're just stuck with them," Ruby said with a wink, eliciting a giggle from Lily.

"Why did you and mommy pick me out? Why didn't you get stuck with me?" Lily asked.

Ruby stopped laughing and froze up. "Uh, well, Lily, that's a talk for another time, okay?"

Lily shook her head. "Nope. Tell me now."

Ruby cursed internally. Her daughter took after her in all the wrong ways. "Well, uh, Lily, you see… Weiss?" Ruby called, standing up and carrying her daughter.

A familiar shock of white hair and pale skin came strolling into the room. "Yes?" Weiss asked, clearly annoyed. Ruby figured she must've interrupted work.

Ruby smiled. "Lily here just wanted to talk to you," Ruby said, gently transferring their daughter into Weiss's arms. The scowl on her wife's face faded as she did so. Weiss couldn't resist Lily. "Anyways, I'll leave you two to it! I'm suuuper busy!" Ruby exclaimed, quickly slipping out of the room.

Ruby let out the breath she'd been holding as she left the room and shut the door. Crisis averted.

"Ruby!"

Ruby cringed as she heard Weiss yell, very clearly unhappy. Crisis not averted.


	5. Stormy

Weiss didn't really mind thunderstorms. She remembered that when she was really young, Winter used to hate the bad weather. It was a sore topic for Winter, who thought that it was completely irrational for a sixteen year old to be afraid of the weather. It hadn't stopped her from cringing at every flash outside the windows of Schnee manor, bracing for the roar of thunder that was sure to follow.

It seemed to be the same for Ruby, who insisted that she was fine, and that the thunder that had been present all afternoon didn't bother her at all. Weiss, unable to get the truth out of Ruby, who was at the very least nervous, turned to interrogating Yang.

"The thunder? Oh man, I thought Rubes had gotten over that," Yang had said. "Patch has some nasty storms in the spring, and when Ruby was eleven a really bad one sent a branch into her bedroom window. Poor girl slept in my room for a week." Yang had laughed looking back on the memory. "I'm sure she's fine, though. Probably just a little spooked."

Ruby was definitely more than a little spooked, Weiss decided. The bed swinging above hers was practically shivering, which meant Ruby was probably camped out under her comforter worrying herself to death. Weiss sighed. If the dolt had just admitted that she was frightened, then maybe Weiss could have done something to help. Honestly, why was she so stubborn? Weiss grabbed her scroll from the dresser that sat between the pair of makeshift bunk beds. 11:50. She glanced across the room, making sure Blake and Yang were already asleep. She took a deep breath. Weiss, this is the stupidest decision you've made yet, she told herself.

"Ruby?"

The shuddering stopped, and there was a soft thud as Ruby dropped from her bed to the floor.

"Yeah?" Ruby whispered. Weiss turned over to face her. The poor girl looked like a kicked puppy. Weiss scooted over and patted the space on the bed next to her.

"What?" Ruby was hesitant.

Weiss rolled her eyes. "I'm telling you to get in the bed, you dolt," she hissed through her teeth. "Now hurry up, before we wake up your sister."

"Won't she see in the morning-"

"Just shut up and get in the bed, Ruby," Weiss commanded.

Ruby let out a frightened sort of squeak and quickly clambered into the bed next to Weiss.

"Good," Weiss said, "now we can finally get some sleep." Weiss closed her eyes and leaned back into her pillow, but Ruby stayed tense and rigid. Weiss put a hand to her back and felt her relax.

"Thanks," Ruby breathed, scooting in closer to Weiss.

"Honestly, Ruby, if you had just admitted you were scared, this would have been much easier," Weiss whispered, wrapping her arms around the girl and pulling her in a little bit closer.

"I'm not scared… just a little spooked," Ruby explained, not sounding too confident in her own words.

"That's what Yang said. I'm not sure I believe either of you."

Ruby tensed up again. "Yang's not gonna be happy in the morning…"

Weiss scoffed. "Yang can get over herself. We're dating, I'm allowed to show affection."

Ruby let out a quiet laugh as she leaned into Weiss and closed her eyes. "Alright, I'll do my best to stop her…"

Weiss rolled her eyes and decided to focus on cuddling with her girlfriend during the current storm rather than on the coming one. She had no idea how Ruby could face Grimm with a smile, and be scared of something as silly as thunder.

Weiss didn't really mind thunderstorms, no. But, as she watched Ruby drift off in her arms, she decided that she could see herself growing to like them.


	6. Games

"Weiss! Please please please!"

Weiss rolled her eyes and tried to focus on the textbook in front of her. Her test in Grimm Studies wasn't for over a week, but Weiss was always prepared well in advance. At least, she always tried to be. Sometimes her girlfriend made that goal… less than achievable.

Weiss ignored another of Ruby's pleas for her attention as she dragged a highlighter over an important passage, making sure to remember it for later. She grimaced as Ruby grabbed her shoulder and shook her, shaking her highlighter across the page in a messy scrawl, the passage she'd meant to highlight left bare in favor of a random line across the page. Weiss took a deep breath to suppress her growing frustration as she gave in and turned to face Ruby. The younger girl was practically glowing as Weiss finally gave in and turned her attention to her. Ruby stuck out a controller covered with buttons that Weiss couldn't even begin to comprehend.

"So you'll play it?" Ruby asked excitedly.

Weiss scoffed. "No. I just want to get this straight."

Ruby nodded in excitement, waiting for Weiss's next words.

"You read the book I suggested to you," Weiss said.

"Uh huh."

"And now you want me to play some game that you like," Weiss continued.

"That's right!" Ruby exclaimed, offering Weiss the controller once more.

Weiss looked down at the mess of buttons and sticks and sighed. "Ruby, how long did it take you to read that book?"

Ruby thought for a moment. "Uh, like four days? It was pretty short."

Weiss nodded. "That it was. Now, in return for that, you want me to play…" Weiss trailed off.

Ruby's excitement drained from her face as she realized what Weiss was implying. "A, uh, ninety hour RPG…" Ruby muttered. "Yeah, I didn't think about that… sorry."

Weiss rolled her eyes again. Of course she didn't. Ruby barely tended to think at all, if you asked Weiss. But, seeing Ruby so crestfallen wasn't something that Weiss particularly enjoyed. She sighed, and resigned herself to what was to come.

"Fine. Just give me the controller," Weiss huffed.

Ruby perked back up almost instantly. "Yeah! You'll be reachin' out for the truth in no time!"

Weiss didn't even know what that was supposed to mean, but if it made Ruby happy, she was happy to go along.


	7. Breakfast

As Ruby sat next to her, happily munching on a stack of pancakes, Weiss couldn't help but wonder how she'd gotten to this point.

She remembered the first time she'd attempted cooking. Years of being waited on hand and foot had done nothing to help her skill in the kitchen, and it had never been more apparent than her first try at breakfast. Ruby and Yang had gone for an early morning training session, and Blake had slipped off to do some research on the mission they were undertaking before the sun had even risen. As a result, Weiss had been left alone with a fully stocked kitchen, courtesy of the kind people who were housing them while they were investigating a local Grimm nest. In light of this, she had decided to make herself useful and fix her team breakfast.

Needless to say, it had not gone well.

Weiss still remembered Yang's roar of laughter. "Pancakes! How do you mess up pancakes this bad!?" she'd said, once she was finally able to catch her breath. Yang had made cooking jokes at her expense for _weeks_.

Blake, on the other hand, had at least tried to be polite. She'd stifled her giggles and offered to help clean up, but upon looking closer, she hadn't been able to contain her amusement. "Sorry," she'd apologized, "but I'm with Yang. This is an impressive failure."

And Ruby… Weiss sighed. Ruby had been Ruby. She'd laughed, sure. Almost as much as Yang even. But after that it had been a quick kiss (with Yang yelling for them to get a room) and then she got right to helping clean up. "Thanks for trying," Ruby had said."I'll help you next time, and maybe we can pull off a nice breakfast." Weiss, who by that point was on the verge of tears, had taken it to heart. And, sure enough, a few days later, Weiss had successfully made her team breakfast to celebrate the end of that particular mission. With liberal help from Ruby, of course.

Ruby had kept true to her word beyond that, slowly helping Weiss learn her way around a kitchen. She'd even roped Yang into it! Ruby had raved about how her sister was a phenomenal cook, and Weiss hadn't believed her until after a brutal lesson from chef Yang herself.

"Thanks for breakfast!" Ruby chimed, pulling Weiss's attention back to the present. "It was great! You gotta give me your recipe!" she teased.

Weiss rolled her eyes and smiled. "It's just pancakes, you dolt. You taught me how to make them."

"Yeah, but they're Weiss pancakes! That makes them wayyy better," Ruby assured her, giving Weiss a quick kiss as she slipped out of the kitchen.

"Where are you going? You've got dishes to clean, Ruby," Weiss called after her.

"Yeah, but you can totally get those. I've got, uh, mission reports to go over," Ruby called back as she continued to make her way away from the kitchen.

Weiss rolled her eyes again as she picked up Ruby's empty plate. Weiss had gone over those reports last night. Ruby was a terrible liar.

But hey, at least she was a decent teacher.


	8. Introductions

"Ruby, where in Remnant are we going?" Weiss asked incredulously, as Ruby continued to drag her through the woods. They'd been walking for what, ten minutes now? What reason could Ruby possibly have for dragging her into the middle of a forest?

Ruby hushed her. "Don't worry, we'll be there any second now," Ruby assured. Weiss frowned. Normally, Ruby was the one who was antsy and anxious on treks through the woods, particularly on missions. This time, however, Ruby had stayed relatively quiet, only speaking up to make sure Weiss was okay, or to let Weiss know that they were getting near their eventual destination. There had to be a reason for it all. For Ruby's sudden invitation to take a walk, for Ruby grabbing Weiss's hand and plunging into the woods, and for her decidedly un-Ruby-like mood.

As Ruby pulled her through one last clump of trees and into a clearing, Weiss got her answer.

"Ruby…" Weiss said softly. "You said there was someone you wanted me to meet yesterday…" 'Said' was an understatement. From the moment Yang and Ruby had suckered Weiss into coming with them to Patch for their week off from classes, Ruby had been dying to introduce Weiss to someone. She wouldn't say who, but Weiss suddenly understood who.

Ruby nodded. "This is her."

A few meters from the two girls, a polished stone slab was set in the ground against the edge of a shallow cliff. The same rose emblem Weiss always caught Ruby doodling in her notebooks was engraved in the stone, along with an inscription that read "Summer Rose / Thus Kindly I Scatter". Ruby stepped up to the small monument, pulling Weiss along with her.

"Hey mom…" Ruby began. "This is Weiss. She's that girl I was telling you about. I wanted to bring her to meet you." Ruby turned slightly and smiled at Weiss. "I really like her. I hope you do to."

Weiss smiled back at Ruby after a moment, still processing the situation.

"She's really nice, even if she's kind of bossy," Ruby continued. "She's super organized, too, so I don't know how she puts up with me. She likes to fuss over all of us, but she fusses over me more than she does Blake and Yang. I think that means she likes me as much as I like her. She says it does, but sometimes I feel like I make things too hard on her, and that it would be better off if we were just regular friends. Did it ever feel like that with dad?"

Weiss had the sudden feeling that she was very out of place as she watched the hint of tears begin to swell in Ruby's eyes. The younger girl moved to wipe them away with her cloak, but Weiss reached out and grasped her hand. She squeezed Ruby's hand tight as she stepped closer to the grave.

"Hello, Mrs. Rose!" Weiss said. "I'm grateful to be dating your daughter. I love her very much, but I don't think she believes me when I say it. I do, though. She's wonderful. She's always so cheerful, and all of Beacon knows that I could use more of that kind of happiness in my life. Your daughter has done so many wonderful things in my life, and we haven't even known each other all that long. I hope you're proud of her. She's grown up to be a wonderful young lady."

Weiss finished her speech to the sound of Ruby beginning to cry. It wasn't an ugly cry. It was the soft kind of crying that Weiss had occasionally heard from Winter when she was young. The kind of crying that happens when you miss someone.

"Thank… thank you, Weiss," Ruby said, her voice barely audible as tears dripped down your face. Weiss pulled Ruby into a hug and stroked her hair.

"Thank you for letting me talk to your mom, Ruby," Weiss said. "I meant every word of it."

Ruby pulled away from the hug, wiping her face and beginning to smile again. "I know. Thanks for letting me drag you here. Let's go back to the house."

Weiss nodded. "Yang should be done with those cookies by now. We'd better hurry."

Ruby grinned. "Bet I can beat you there! Bye, mom!" Ruby called out as she sped away into the woods, leaving behind a familiar trail of rose petals.

Weiss sighed and turned back to the grave. "That daughter of yours sure is a handful, Mrs. Rose."

And with that, Weiss headed back into the woods herself. After all, she couldn't just let Ruby eat those cookies by herself.


	9. Texts

"Yang Xiao Long! Give me back my scroll right now!"

Yang stuck out her tongue as she dove behind her bed, feverishly scrolling through Weiss's messages. Her search was interrupted as Weiss yanked the bed towards the center of the room, her near superhuman strength fueled by her desire to reclaim her stolen scroll.

Yang jumped up and shot across the room, headed for the door. Weiss was there in an instant, blocking the blonde's path. Yang looked back and saw her bed in ruins, the glyph Weiss used to propel herself shimmering above it.

Yang swore. "Listen, I'm just trying to make sure you aren't sexting my little sister or anything!" Yang had grown suspicious of the heiress when she'd caught her giggling at her scroll and blushing. She had no doubts that Ruby was way too innocent to even think about something like that, but she was still curious what kind of messages Weiss and Ruby had been exchanging.

Weiss's face instantly turned a deep shade of red. "Me and Ruby are not… doing anything of the sort!" Weiss cried, struggling to get the term Yang had used past her lips. "I just want my scroll back!"

Yang ducked under Weiss's outstretched arms and fled into the hallway. "Then why are you acting like a rabid Grimm?" Yang asked, setting off down the hall and continuing to read Weiss and Ruby's messages as she did so. Yang gagged as she read through yet another sappy, lovesick exchange between the two girls. Her sister, yeah, Yang expected some of that type of stuff from. The Ice Queen, though? Never. Yang would be holding this over Weiss for _weeks_.

Yang hit the ground as she heard something hurtling towards her, glancing up just in time to see Weiss rocketing by overhead, most likely via another well placed glyph. The white haired girl landed gracefully before hurrying back towards Yang, using yet another glyph to pop her scroll out of Yang's hands. She deftly snatched the device out of the air and quickly checked where Yang had been looking. Weiss sighed. Yang had only been able to read the last few days' worth of messages. Thank god she hadn't gone any further, or else she might have seen that Ruby had indeed sent her a slightly racy photo of herself. It hadn't been intentional, as Ruby had, in being her oblivious self, sent a photo of herself in a dressing room to ask Weiss her opinion on an outfit. Still, If Yang had seen it… Weiss knew how protective Yang could be of Ruby, even if it was just a misunderstanding.

Weiss shivered as she scrolled up and deleted the photo. Better safe than sorry.


	10. Question

Was scared the word she was looking for? Impossible. A Schnee didn't get scared. A Schnee was always confident and composed, ready to face any challenge head on. Ready to brave the fiercest of situations, the most terrifying obstacles! Fearless! A Schnee would never be afraid! A Schnee wouldn't even know the meaning of the word!

That being said, Weiss was a wreck. Nervous, scared, anxious, any similar descriptor applied just as well. She was definitely not fearless. She had to clench her fist to keep herself from biting her nails, a nervous habit she thought she'd ditched years ago. Her heart pounded in her chest, the thumping so loud she swore it could be heard in the next room over. She couldn't do this. She couldn't do this! She was Weiss Schnee, running away like a scared little girl! Weiss pulled herself off of the bed, smoothing her dress and stepping towards the door, ready to make a break for it.

Weiss never got the chance. The door to her dorm creaked open, and, after what seemed like an eternity, Ruby stepped in. Weiss squeezed her eyes shut, prepping her speech. _Neptune couldn't go to the dance; would you like to accompany me? Just as friends, of course. _Weiss grimaced at that last part. She definitely didn't mean it. She'd basically thrown herself at Neptune in attempt to make herself believe that she wasn't head over heels for her dolt of a leader, but Neptune had turned her down, leaving her with no other outs. Weiss took a deep breath as she prepared to ask her question, and opened her eyes.

That was as far as she got. Ruby was dressed up, far nicer that Weiss ever could have imagined. She was carrying a pair of black heels that Weiss could never imagine Ruby wearing, and wearing black tights that drew Weiss's eyes to her leader's legs. The red dress she wore was simple enough that it didn't seem out of place on Ruby, but the black accents and high collar made it look more stunning than Weiss could have ever imagined. Ruby's arms were bare, just the slightest visible amount of muscle from Ruby's time with Crescent Rose making Weiss's mouth dry up.

"Oh, hey Weiss!" Ruby chimed. "Shouldn't you be with Neptune already?"

Weiss's mouth opened, but no words came out. _Tell her, you absolute idiot! Ask her to the stupid dance already! _Weiss screamed at herself internally, trying anything to make the words come out. It was a fruitless effort.

"Uh… wow, oh… you're right!" was all Weiss could manage. She grabbed her scroll and bolted into the hallway, leaving Ruby behind in the dorm room. After making sure there was a sizeable difference between her and her own personal hell, Weiss leaned against a wall, gasping, out of breath due to her encounter with Ruby just as much as because of her sudden run.

"Weiss, you hopeless idiot…" the heiress muttered. "How hard is it to ask Ruby out? It's not like she'd get what you meant by it anyways…"

Weiss took a deep breath as she straightened herself out. The night was not lost! She could still ask Ruby for a dance later!

If only she could actually manage to speak, that is.

**Sorry for the long wait between updates. With the whole coronavirus situation going on and my school moving to online classes, I've been a little preoccupied. Regular updates should resume in the next day or two.**


	11. Reunion

Weiss sighed as she sunk into the strange, low sitting furniture that filled every room of the home that Ruby and what remained of team JNPR had been staying in. The chairs left her feeling as if she was too close to the ground. According to Nora, it was an Anima thing. Weiss had known that a different continent would also come with different cultures, but it hadn't occurred to Weiss that it would include the furniture.

Weiss closed her eyes and tried to rest. Her several days of captivity had left her feeling drained. She'd been lucky that Yang had shown up when she did. After seeing Raven and her tribe at arms, Weiss was far from confident that she could have escaped on her own. Thank the gods that Raven had been in the mood to chat.

Weiss opened her eyes just a fraction as she heard the door to the room she was in creak open. A familiar shock of red that she recognized as Ruby's cloak began to slip through the door, followed by the rest of Ruby herself. The younger girl noticed Weiss and took extra care to be quiet, creeping into the room and over to where a small pack was laid on one of the two beds in the room. Her travel bag, Weiss presumed.

Ruby froze as her scythe, which was still strapped to her waist, collided with the edge of the bed as she bent across to open her pack. It was a soft knock, really, but to Ruby, who was trying her best not to disturb Weiss, it was deafening.

Weiss fully opened one eye and raised an eyebrow at Ruby, who was looking directly at her and cringing.

"Sorry," Ruby whispered.

Weiss sighed. "It's okay. I wasn't really asleep. Just… resting." Weiss scooted to the side, trying to make as much room on the low sitting chair as she could. Ruby smiled, removing her cloak and her scythe before sitting herself.

How long had it been since Weiss had seen that smile? The photo on her scroll, one of the few she had of her team, didn't compare to the real thing. Here she was, after the better part of a year. Back with that smile. Weiss relaxed into Ruby's side as she squeezed into the chair next to her, placing her head on the younger girl's shoulder.

"I missed you," Ruby said. She slipped her hand into Weiss's and squeezed. Weiss squeezed back.

"I did too. Atlas sucks."

Ruby giggled at the decidedly un-Weiss-like declaration. "I bet. Way too cold, right?"

Weiss shook her head. "I don't mind the cold. It just didn't have you."

Ruby blushed, her face as red as her cloak. "Anima wasn't great either. It doesn't have you."

Weiss raised her eyebrow again as Ruby tried to return her poetic flattery. Ruby quickly caught on.

"Oh, well, it uh, didn't have you. At least until today," Ruby explained.

Weiss closed her eyes and once again relaxed into Ruby's side. "Nice recovery." Ruby giggled and wrapped her arms around Weiss, pulling her in tighter. Weiss could have stayed like that forever. Prior to Beacon, her life had been cold and, for the most part, emotionless. After Winter had left, things like hugs and loving embraces were foreign concepts in the Schnee household. Not that they'd been a staple before. Winter loved her, but she wasn't the most affectionate.

Ruby, however, was the definition of affectionate. Ruby had a hands-on approach to showing her love, and she wasn't afraid of giving hugs to near strangers. She accosted Weiss at every chance, with hugs and shakes and high fives and every other manner of physical affection. It'd taken quite a bit of time for Weiss to get used to how touchy-feely her partner was, even before they had started dating.

That was another thing, Weiss realized. Were they still dating? They'd been split up so abruptly, and despite Weiss's best efforts Beacon's CCT tower being down made her attempts to contact Ruby fruitless. She had no clue if Ruby had any interest in dating her, still. Given everything that had happened at the fall of Beacon, and whatever had occurred during Ruby and JNPR's months of trekking through Anima, Weiss would hardly be surprised if somehow Ruby's feelings had changed. Weiss felt her muscles began to tense as a familiar sense of dread and doubt course through her veins. She was suddenly aware that she had made a very presumptuous move in offering Ruby a seat next to her.

"Soooo," Ruby began. Weiss tensed further. Every nerve ending in her body was on edge, years of misplaced overconfidence flooding back to her. She braced herself for what was to come.

"Are we gonna tell everyone we're dating now? I know it's probably not the best time, but we never got the chance back at school…" Ruby continued, seemingly oblivious to Weiss's near panicked state.

Weiss's nerves vanished all at once as relief flooded into her, flushing out the panic and fear and doubt. She was stupid. Ruby was not her family. There was no reason for doubt, or for panic, or even fear. Not with Ruby. She needed to shake this stupid mental block her father had placed on her. She'd started to be rid of it back at Beacon, but her months holed up in Schnee manor had clearly rebuilt the metaphorical wall.

"I'm sorry, Ruby," Weiss breathed. Ruby looked over at Weiss, finally noticing her state of distress, even if she was far calmer than she had been moments before.

"No, it's fine if you want to keep it a secret, still…" Ruby said trailing off.

"That's not it. You can tell everyone if you'd like."

Ruby frowned, the confusion evident on her face. "Weiss, what's wrong?"

Weiss sank deeper into Ruby's arms, wrapping her own arms around her partner. "Nothing at all. Not anymore. I'm just glad to be away from my family. Glad to be back with you." Weiss reached a hand up to Ruby's cheek and guided her partner's face down to meet hers, placing a light kiss on Ruby's lips. It was their first kiss since Beacon, Weiss realized. She'd almost wished she'd made a bigger spectacle of it.

"Alright, if you say so," Ruby said, trusting Weiss's words. "You have to be there when I tell Yang, though." Ruby giggled at the thought.

Weiss rolled her eyes. She was pretty sure that Yang wasn't totally in the dark when it came to her and Ruby. The blonde was quite observant, particularly when it came to Ruby. She pulled Ruby into another kiss, putting an end to her giggling.

"Let's worry about that tomorrow," Weiss said as she broke away from Ruby's lips. "For now, let's just… relax."


	12. First Kiss

If you were to ask Ruby about the moments leading up to her first kiss, she wouldn't have been able to tell you. Weiss knew this because she'd heard the younger girl say so herself when Yang had accosted her, shortly after realizing that Ruby and Weiss had moved passed the "just friends and partners" stage and into the "cuddling and occasionally kissing" stage. Weiss supposed that would make them girlfriends, but neither of the two had used the term yet.

Back to Ruby, though. Weiss had rolled her eyes when Ruby had confessed that she "was too caught up in the moment to remember the details". An incredibly Ruby-like thing to say, really. Weiss, however, remembered all the details. Not that she'd been any less caught up in the moment.

It had started innocently enough, with Weiss attempting to help Ruby cram for an exam in Oobleck's history of Remnant class. It had started out as Ruby _and_ Yang, but Yang had resigned herself to a failing grade rather quickly and left the partners to study by themselves. Ruby had similarly wanted to give in shortly after, but a withering glare from Weiss had shut that idea down fast. The studying did turn out to be helpful in the end. Ruby managed a middling B, and was prouder of her grade than Weiss could ever be of anything even close to that low. How she managed to pass at all after she had been so distracted from her studies was a mystery.

And who was to blame for the distraction? Well, Weiss had to admit it was her fault, to an extent. As much as she had hated herself for it in the moment, Weiss looked back on their first kiss with a fond kind of embarrassment. She had gotten so frustrated with Ruby's lack of attentiveness that she promised her partner a reward if she were to ace the next small quiz Weiss was preparing. Naturally, unable to stand the mystery, Ruby dove into her studies, all distractions completely forgotten. Weiss, unfortunately, hadn't actually expected Ruby to ace her little quiz. It was, in no uncertain terms, completely unfair, covering topics that they hadn't even touched on in class. It was designed to make Ruby fail at least a few of the questions, all so Weiss didn't actually have to think up some mystery prize.

Of course, Ruby had gone and breezed through Weiss's test, answering every question with ease and then demanding that Weiss make good on her promise of a reward. She had looked up at Weiss with those damn pouty eyes, and, without thinking about it, Weiss found herself pressed up against Ruby, her lips placed on her partner's.

"How's that for a reward?" Weiss had said smugly, proud of herself for winning another battle of wits with the younger girl for the slightest fraction of a second before she fully realized what she'd done. Only when she caught sight of Ruby's face, her mouth hanging open like a dead fish, did the situation sink in.

Weiss had, admittedly, screamed a little bit. Whether it was from the shock of realizing what she'd done or in excitement from her sudden courage to act on the feelings that had been growing all semester, she couldn't say. She turned to dash away, to distance herself from the moment as much as possible until her head stopped spinning, but Ruby had grabbed the sleeve of her jacket and held fast.

Before Weiss knew what was happening, Ruby had kissed her again. Or rather, Ruby had kissed her the first time, since Weiss had been the one doing the kissing before. Ruby just sat there, slightly stunned. This time, however, they were both fully aware of what was going on. The situation was absurd and honestly didn't make much sense, but neither of them really seemed to care. All Weiss knew was that when she pulled away, all she could think about was kissing Ruby again.


	13. Impatient

Dating Ruby had taught Weiss a lot of things. She'd learned about general weapon maintenance, and how to fake being interested in it. She'd learned that she should never offer to work out with Ruby unless she didn't plan on moving for the next week. She'd learned that sweets, cookies in particular, were a surprisingly effective cure-all. What she hadn't learned, however, was patience.

Why would have she? Ruby was always the one waiting on her, using her semblance to speed through anything and everything. Ruby was always the one lounging on the bed as Weiss finished getting ready in the morning or playing games on her scroll as Weiss finished a meal. Weiss was the slow and methodical one, and Ruby was the hyper and fast-paced one. That's just how things were.

Weiss glanced at her scroll, another message from Blake popping up on her screen.

_"Where are u? Me and Y got here ages ago. U ok?"_

Weiss sighed at the message and quickly tapped out a reply.

_"Still waiting on Ruby. Is this what it was like for you guys back at school? Waiting for me at the mornings?"_

Blake's reply came quickly. _"Yes :p. See u two soon. Don't get distracted."_

Weiss rolled her eyes at the jab. Yang was rubbing off on Blake a tad too much for her liking. She looked down at her own dress. It was pretty standard fare when it came to her wardrobe, a shimmering blanket of grays and muted blues. It was a nice dress, but she wish she'd been able to match it to whatever Ruby was wearing. Yang had insisted that she'd be the one to take her sister shopping right after she'd proposed a night out at a fancy club, so Weiss had yet to see what her date would be wearing. It had seemed like a fun idea and a nice gesture at the time, but that was before Blake spilled the beans and revealed that their "fun night out" was actually a bounty mission. Still, Weiss wasn't going to turn down the chance to get Ruby into a dress. Those were few and far between.

Finally losing her patience, Weiss leaned over and rapped her knuckles against the door that stood next to where she was sitting.

"Ruby, need I remind you that we have a target tonight? One that is time sensitive?"

Ruby's acknowledgement came quickly, in the form of a loud thump that sounded suspiciously like someone tripping over themselves to Weiss. She rolled her eyes, ready for whatever disheveled state her date was about to emerge in. She felt a lecture poised on the tip of her tongue, ready to be delivered alongside several scathing remarks about timeliness.

The lecture died in her throat as the door swung open and Ruby stepped out.

"Tadah!" the younger girl exclaimed, twirling and showing off her dress. Weiss's breath hitched.

"Is that…" she began.

Ruby smiled nervously. "The dress I wore to the dance freshman year? Well, no, that one's too small now. But it's the same style!" It was indeed the same style. A short dress, all crimson, with black trim and a matching choker. It was gorgeous, and Ruby certainly filled out the dress better than she had as a fifteen-year-old all those years ago. In that moment, Weiss decided that being patient was a skill worth getting used to. Definitely if it meant more moments like this.

Weiss took Ruby's hand. "Remind me to chew your sister out sometime."

"Huh?" Ruby looked puzzled.

"Because I am so not going to be able to focus on the mission with you looking like that," Weiss explained with a smirk. "Shall we get going?"


	14. Reunion, II

**Just a quick note: This is a continuation of a previous chapter, Reunion. I'll denote any other chapters like this with a roman numeral in the chapter name.**

* * *

"Wait, you're disowned?"

The question cut through the cheerful atmosphere the evening had held all night, and Weiss cringed as Ruby and Yang stared at her expectantly. Her disownment was not a subject that Weiss was eager to discuss. She glanced over to where JNPR and Qrow were sitting. They were focused on another of Nora's relentless string of questions and Oscar's growing nervousness, laughing all the while. Weiss took a deep breath.

"To an extent," Weiss explained. "I wouldn't say disowned, though. More like… disinherited. I'm no longer the heiress to the company. My father made it clear that Whitley is now the standing heir."

Ruby and Yang's mouths fell open. "Really? That's absurd! Can he do that?" Ruby exclaimed.

Weiss nodded. "He can and he did. Plus, I've been frozen out of all the family accounts."

Yang crossed her arms and let out a laugh. "Imagine that! The ice queen's flat broke! Guess I can't count on you to pay for my meals anymore."

Weiss rolled her eyes. "I'm not _completely_ broke. I have some money of my own saved up. And no, that doesn't mean I'll pay for your meals," she said, cutting off Yang's next question before she even began.

A burst of red and a cloud of fluttering rose petals filled the air, and Weiss found Ruby next to her on the couch, Yang now sitting alone. Ruby squeezed her hand tight. "I'm sorry you had to deal with that, Weiss. I know it sucked, even if Yang just thinks you were living it up in Atlas." Weiss smiled at her, thankful for the kind words.

Yang frowned. "Hey, I didn't say she was 'living it up'," the blonde protested. "I just said she spent the last few months in a cushy mansion while you were trekking through the countryside."

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Honestly, I would have much rather been out there with Ruby. Schnee Manor is far from cushy. It's dreadfully cold, actually." The three girls laughed at the rebuttal.

"Sooo," Ruby started, "what are you gonna do now? Now that you're all poor and stuff." Ruby added the last bit as a tease.

Weiss wasn't sure she could roll her eyes any farther. "I swear, neither of you actually listen to a word I say. I don't really know, though. I'll probably stick with you guys for now. It's not like I have to worry about keeping up appearances or anything." Weiss leaned back into the couch. "It's kind of freeing, honestly. I don't have to worry about what people will think of the company now. I'm not the heiress, so my actions don't reflect on the SDC."

Ruby grinned, her smile a mischievous one that Weiss was decidedly not a fan of. "So, you don't gotta worry about your image now, huh?" Ruby scooted in a bit closer and Weiss grew nervous, glancing first to Yang, who was still rather oblivious, then to JNPR and Qrow, who were still distracted.

"Ruby-" Weiss began, but Ruby cut her off.

"Remember what we talked about last night?"

Weiss blushed, looking to Yang, who had narrowed her eyes, obviously growing suspicious.

"What are you two whispering about, huh?" Yang asked, leaning forward.

Weiss attempted to scoot over and make some distance between her and Ruby, but Ruby merely shifted along with her. "Ah, Ruby, I don't think now is the-"

That was as far as Weiss got before Ruby grabbed her sleeve and pulled her in to a kiss that was altogether much too intense for the locale. Weiss's initial panic faded as she found herself drawn into the kiss, instantly oblivious to her surroundings for the briefest moment before the sound of shattering glass pulled her back to reality.

Weiss hastily pulled away from Ruby, who still had that stupid grin plastered across her face. Her face redder than Ruby's cloak, Weiss scanned the room. Yang's mouth hung open and she was completely stunned, unsure how to respond to the scene that had just unfolded. Weiss identified the sound of shattering glass to be Jaune's drink hitting the floor, as JNPR's focus on Oscar and Nora had broken, all of them now staring at her.

Qrow was the first to break the silence with a raspy chuckle. "What is it with us and the ice queens, kiddo? We'll have to swap stories sometime." Ruby's uncle laughed at his own tease as he took another drink from his flask, and then turned back to JNPR. The rest of the room remained silent, and Weiss seized the chance to speak next. She took a deep breath and smoothed out her skirt before turning to Yang.

"Yang, I, ah, would like to inform you that I'm dating your sister."


	15. Stormy, II

A flash of lightning spilled in through the window next to Weiss's bed, startling her out of her half-asleep state. The white haired ex-heiress huffed and rolled over, turning away from the window in an attempt to shield her eyes from the sharp flashes that illuminated the room.

It had been storming for the better part of three days, leaving everyone stranded inside. Even if it was a spacious house, three days trapped with seven other people was less than ideal. Weiss had gone to bed early to escape the crowded living area, but the lightning was making sleep quite the ordeal. She gripped the hem of the too-large nightshirt she'd borrowed from Yang as she squeezed her eyes shut, attempting to drown out the noise from both the storm and the conversation drifting in from the living area. The effort proved futile, and Weiss sat up in bed with a frustrated sigh. She flicked on the lamp next to her and stared out the window. When it was dry, it provided a rather stunning view of Mistral, but as hard as it was raining now the window was washed out and covered in sheets of pouring rain. She could see nothing out of it.

The door creaked open, drawing Weiss's attention away from the rain pounding against the window. She glanced over to see Ruby quickly slip in and shut the door behind them.

"Tired of the stories already?" Weiss asked, knowing how Ruby's Uncle Qrow tended to ramble after only a few short days of living with him.

Ruby smiled at her and laughed. "You get bored fast when you've heard them already, believe it or not." Ruby made her way over to Weiss's bed and sat, her hand resting on Weiss's. "You okay?"

Weiss nodded, taking Ruby's hand and squeezing it. "I'm fine. Just a little tired. I've had a long few weeks." She leaned into Ruby's shoulder. "Between my airship crashing and Yang's mom and this whole maiden business, I'm kind of stretched thin."

Ruby put an arm around Weiss's shoulder and pulled her in closer. "Don't worry. Everyone's feeling that way." The two of them sat like that for a good while, just enjoying the contact, before Ruby broke the silence.

"So, can't sleep?" Ruby asked.

Weiss shook her head. "Not at the moment. There's too much on my mind. Too much to worry about."

"Like what?"

Weiss frowned. "So much. The maidens, Salem… Blake."

Ruby made a little noise of affirmation. She grabbed at the covers and pulled them up, slipping into the bed next to Weiss.

"What exactly are you doing?" Weiss questioned, shying away from the other girl.

Ruby rolled her eyes. "I'm tired, too, Weiss. We could both use some rest. Besides, it's storming. This used to be a regular thing for us on stormy nights, remember?"

"But Yang-"

"Already knows about us and will have to suck it up when she sees her little sister getting further in a relationship than she has in years," Ruby teased. Weiss relaxed as Ruby snuggled in close and wrapped her arms around the older girl. She'd changed into her own nightclothes earlier, Weiss realized. Weiss sat for a moment, enjoying Ruby's warmth and closeness.

"So, are you still afraid of storms?"

Ruby huffed, and Weiss could feel her breath against the back of her neck. "I'm not! I never was! They just make me nervous!"

Weiss let out a soft laugh. "So you're still afraid, got it."

"I am not! We had to sleep through plenty of storms while we were camping on our way to Haven and I did just fine!"

"Oh, so you didn't just go snuggle with Jaune in my absence?" Weiss teased. She felt Ruby squirm in annoyance.

"Weiss," Ruby whined, "I don't even like boys!" Weiss felt Ruby's arms begin to retreat from her waist, and decided that she'd teased the girl enough.

"I know, I'm just teasing, Ruby," Weiss assured her. After a moment, Ruby's arms retook their place wrapped around Weiss. Weiss felt Ruby's chest pressed against her back, rising and falling with her breath. All of a sudden, she felt very sleepy. It was because of Ruby, Weiss realized. Despite what Ruby had said, she had ended up sharing Weiss's bed far more often than just stormy nights towards the end of their time at school. It was a comforting presence, and Weiss was suddenly aware she hadn't gotten a good night's sleep since before the fall of Beacon.

"Do you think Blake's okay?" Ruby's question was quiet, just barely audible over the sound of the rain slamming into the roof. Her voice was nervous, as if she were even afraid to ask the question. Afraid of speaking some story of their teammate's misfortune into existence. Weiss had to admit that she had similar worries. She had no idea that her team was as splintered as they were. She'd expected to arrive to find Ruby, Blake, and Yang all together in Mistral. Instead, she'd stumbled across them one by one, with Blake yet to be found.

Weiss swallowed, trying to think of something to say that was better than "I don't know". She grasped one of Ruby's hands under the covers, deciding to stick to what she knew. "Blake is by far the most adept at all of us when it comes to staying alive. Her time in the White Fang is responsible for that, no doubt. Blake's okay, Ruby. She just needs to find her way back to us, is all."

Ruby squeezed Weiss's hand tightly. "Yang doesn't think she's coming back."

Weiss scoffed. "Yang doesn't know what she's talking about. Blake's got a habit of disappearing, but she's always come back so far." Weiss didn't particularly believe her own words, but she hoped Ruby did.

"I was worried that you wouldn't come back either." Ruby's voice had gotten even quieter, even shakier. Weiss could tell from her tone of voice that she was about to cry. She wanted to comfort Ruby, but found herself hesitant to move. Had Ruby really been worried that she wouldn't come back?

"I just… I was so worried when your dad took you back to Atlas and when you didn't get in touch even though I know there wasn't any way you could with the communications tower down but I just got it in my head that maybe you just liked it better in Atlas and that you didn't mind just staying there and that maybe I wasn't as good of a leader as I thought and-"

Weiss quickly turned over to face Ruby and pressed two fingers to the crying girl's lips, cutting off her babbling. Oh, how she'd missed Ruby's incoherent babbling. She just preferred it when she was excited.

"I would move mountains to get back to you, Ruby. I swear," Weiss assured her. She wiped away the tears blooming in Ruby's eyes before giving her a quick kiss to drive her point home. Ruby sniffled and buried her head in between Weiss's neck and shoulder, refusing to move from the position.

"I love you," Ruby whispered. "I know I didn't really say it before, but I didn't want to scare you off." Her voice tickled against Weiss's skin. Weiss smiled warmly as Ruby poured out her heart.

"I know, and I love you too. You could never scare me off, no matter how hard you tried," Weiss said, pulling Ruby in closer. Ruby hummed in affirmation as she allowed herself to be squeezed tighter and began to drift off to sleep.

Weiss wasn't far behind.


End file.
